How does pink eye spread?

Question

I went to the Dr. today because my eye was swelling up and bothering me and he said I have pink eye. I don't have any kids, nor am I around kids, but he said that it is transferred through kids. Is pink eye going around?

The Dr. said that it can be spread from not washing hands properly, but I wash my hands religiously

Answer 1

What is PINK EYE / CONJUNCTIVITIS?
- Pink eye / conjunctivitis is a general term referring to an irritation or infection of the membrane which covers the eye and the inside of the eyelid (conjunctiva).
- Pink eye / conjunctivitis is quite common and involves all age groups.
- Problems with the eye can be serious, so inspection by a doctor is necessary for a correct diagnosis.
- Pink eye / conjunctivitis typically starts in one eye and may spread to the other.
- Certain types of pink eye (Infectious conjunctivitis) are very contagious and steps must be made to avoid it's spread.
- Infectious conjunctivitis is usually caused by bacteria or viruses. Fungi, parasites, and chlamydia may also be a cause of infectious conjunctivitis.
- Noninfectious conjunctivitis is usually caused by allergies or mechanical irritants.

Symptoms of PINK EYE / CONJUNCTIVITIS
- Redness in the whites of the eye or red, swollen and irritated eyelids.
- Sandy and scratchy feeling in the eyes with possible light sensitivity.
- Tearing and/or mucus discharge from the eye or eyes.

A physician should be notified:
- if there is pain in the eye, rather than irritation or if the patient feels there is a foreign object in the eye.
- if a greenish-yellow discharge is present and does not begin to improve within 24 hours.
- if an abnormal difference between the sizes of the pupils is present or if the skin around the eye or eyelid is red.
- if the problem continues for more than three days or seems to get progressively worse.

Treatment and prevention of PINK EYE / CONJUNCTIVITIS
- Treatment depends on what is causing the pink eye / conjunctivitis and must be determined by a doctor.
- Infectious conjunctivitis spreads very easily! To prevent spreading the infection to the good eye or to others, the infected eye should not be touched with the hands.
- It is important to wash hands thoroughly and frequently to prevent spreading.
- Make-up and handkerchiefs should not be shared with an infected person.
- Contact lenses and eye make-up should not be worn until the problem has been resolved.
- Used make-up must be thrown away if the patient has been diagnosed with infectious conjunctivitis.
- Clothes, towels, pillow cases and anything else which may have come in contact with an infected person should be washed.
- A warm compress may be helpful to relieve discomfort and removing "crust".
- Antibiotic or antiviral medication may be prescribed by the doctor for certain types of infectious conjunctivitis.
- If eye drops or an ointment is prescribed, the applicator tip and infected eye must never come in contact with one another. Antibiotics for the eye are available only by prescription.
- Allergens and other irritants such as smoke, which may cause allergic and mechanical conjunctivitis, should be avoided.
- If an irritant or foreign object is causing the pink eye / conjunctivitis, flushing of the eye with an eye-wash solution may be recommended. (Specific products may be recommended by a physician or pharmacist.)
- Certain over-the-counter eye drops or oral antihistamine medications may help reduce symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis or conjunctivitis caused by certain irritants. These are not effective for infectious conjunctivitis and should only be used to reduce symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. (Specific products may be recommended by a physician or pharmacist.)

Answer 2

How Does Pink Eye Spread

Answer 3

Pink eye can be transferred from anyone (children or adults) shaking hands, using someones eye makeup, rubbing your eyes, a simple transfer of the virus by casual random touching...you hear it more from children because they don't often wash their hands and are rubbing their eye and touching each other..but adults can do the same..since you have been diagnosed then I am sure you have been told to get a box of Kleenex's and use a single tissue and wipe from the inner part of the eye to the outer and not to rub your eye or use the same tissue. Good hand washing..also discard you eye makeup and buy new once your infection is gone otherwise you may transfer it back to your eyes..You may never figure out where you got it but as long as you are being treated..I have seen this often in the ER and there are folks that can't figure out how they came in contact with the virus.

Answer 4

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is spread through contact from person to person and from person to object to person. For example, if a person with Pink Eye touches their eye and some of the infected mucous winds up on their hand, and then they touch a doorknob, that mucous can then be transmitted to the eye of a healthy person and infect them.

I have had conjunctivitis a number of times. I remember once back in college a bunch of friends of mine and I played pick up basketball at the gym and four of us contracted it. Seems someone there had conjunctivitis and the infection had spread through contact with the ball itself.

If you only have it in one eye, avoid touching the eye. And if you do, try not to touch anything until you've washed your hands. And the last thing you want to do is touch your other eye. Pink eye in both is not fun.

Most of the time my conjunctivitis goes away on its own within 24-48 hours, but once it grew hot red and swollen to the point I could barely see out of it and feared I was going to lose it. The doctor gave me iodine drops that helped fight it. I also used warm saline rinses to keep it as sterilized.

One final thing I should note. When my doctor first diagnosed me with conjunctivitis, he asked if I had ever had an STD. I didn't see how the two were related, but told him that I did not. He explained that contact with the infected area of an outbreak of certain STDs and then contact with the eye has been shown to be another source of the infection. This may not be relevant at all, but felt I had to mention it to be as thorough here as possible.

Best of luck!

Answer 5

Most cases of pinkeye are caused by:

Infections caused by viruses or bacteria.
Dry eyes from lack of tears or exposure to wind and sun.
Chemicals, fumes, or smoke (chemical conjunctivitis).
Allergies.
Viral and bacterial pinkeye are contagious and spread very easily. Since most pinkeye is caused by viruses for which there is usually no medical treatment, preventing its spread is important. Poor hand-washing is the main cause of the spread of pinkeye. Sharing an object, such as a washcloth or towel, with a person who has pinkeye can spread the infection. For tips on how to prevent the spread of pinkeye, see the Prevention section of this topic.

People with infectious pinkeye should not attend school or go to work until symptoms improve.

If the pinkeye is caused by a virus, the person can usually return to day care, school, or work when symptoms begin to improve, typically in 3 to 5 days. Medicines are not usually used to treat viral pinkeye, so it is important to prevent the spread of the infection. Pinkeye caused by a herpes virus, which is rare, can be treated with an antiviral medicine. Home treatment of viral pinkeye symptoms can help you feel more comfortable while the infection goes away.
If the pinkeye is caused by bacteria, the person can usually return to day care, school, or work 24 hours after an antibiotic has been started if symptoms have improved. Prescription antibiotic treatment usually kills the bacteria that cause pinkeye.
Pinkeye may be more serious if you:

Have a condition that decreases your body's ability to fight infection (impaired immune system).
Have vision in only one eye.
Wear contact lenses.

Answer 6

pink eye can spread by touching your eye then touching something then someone touching what you touched then touching their eye. also it can spread by you using eye makeup then a friend using the same thing. thats why its not a good idea to use those sample things at the store. because you could get pink eye.

*i've went to the hospital one time of my many cases of pink eye and the doctor didn't give me meds all he said was to place a warm washcloth on it a few times a day*

Answer 7

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RE:
How does pink eye spread?
I went to the Dr. today because my eye was swelling up and bothering me and he said I have pink eye. I don't have any kids, nor am I around kids, but he said that it is transferred through kids. Is pink eye going around?

Answer 8

Commonly known as pinkeye, conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and lines the inner surface of the eyelids. It is a fairly common condition and usually causes no danger to the eye or your child's vision. The inflammation can have many causes, the most common of which are infectious, allergic, and irritant.

This type of eye infection can occur in sexually active people and in newborns who acquire the infection at birth from their mothers. Viral conjunctivitis is common with several viral infections - most often with infections caused by adenoviruses or enteroviruses - and can occur during a common cold or the flu. A less common but more serious viral conjunctivitis is herpes simplex infection. Parasites and fungal infections are rare causes of conjunctivitis

Answer 9

It can spread through touching where someone with has touched, direct contact and I learned a new one the hard way- the swimming pool. My daughter was in Little Miss Texas pageant( don't go off on me because we only did 1 or 2 a year!) and the director allowed a tiny miss to attend even though her dr. told her to stay home. Well, they didn't tell anyone about the infection and all little kids draw to my daughter like a magnet.Sooo,the child played with mine in the pool and running around, etc. The week-long ordeal finally ended with my daughter sick and pulling strings of the pink eye out while the last special night and crowning was going on. We left as soon as it was over and went to the er since I was far away from home. It ended up costing me the pageant fees,lots of clothing and costumes,meals,gas,medical costs, hard work for me and my daughter, and a lot of stress before it was over. My daughter didn't perform her hard gymnastics routine as well and only got 3rd runner up over all with beauty and interview included. I was glad that the special modeling part was over, before she was infected, because she won that portion.It made her pretty sick and I hope you get well quicker than she did!

Answer 10

Pink eye spread by touching the bacteria associated with it, and then touching your eye. Say I touch my pink eye, and i touch the car handle, then you touch the car handle and then an hour later you scratch your eye....you are a new host to a wonderful bacteria called Pink Eye.

Answer 11

pink eye dusnt spread